One of the hardest parts of life is watching your parents get older and less able to care for themselves. As the years go on, we are made to watch those vibrant people from our childhood and youth lose their health and relocate either to a smaller home or an assisted living facility.
The move itself can also be problematic and stressful, just as a regular move can be. But this time, it’s compounded by having to navigate your parents’ emotional state as they must leave the home they’ve probably lived in for years.
Here are tips for how to help your elderly parents move into their new home:
1-Downsize carefully — One of the toughest aspects of the move for your parents will be trying to downsize their home. Most seniors have kept their home “just so” for years and are emotionally attached to the things they see each day.
Many also keep mementos of the past and of their loved ones. But it may not be practical to get rid of everything just as it may not be practical to take it all to the new home.
So, give yourself plenty of time to sit with your parents and reflect on each item deciding what to keep and what to do away with. Also, consider getting a storage unit so that your parents don’t have to feel like they are throwing all their cherished belongings away.
2-Hire a team of professional movers — Another thing that will go a long way to easing the move is hiring a team of professional movers. Obviously, your parents may not be able to handle moving any of the boxes or belongings that are going to their new home. But, it’s also important that they trust whoever is moving them. Hire experienced professional movers with an inscrutable reputation that can be trusted to move the belongings without breaking or scuffing them.
3-Handle the medical side before the move — Obviously, health and medical concerns are of utmost importance with your elderly parents. Before they move, you need to help make sure that their health needs have been cared for.
To that end, make sure that you have updated their new address with their insurance company and all their doctors. Have their prescriptions updated to go to a pharmacy closer to the new home?
You may also want to see if you can have these filled so that they don’t have to worry about refills during the move itself. Give them some time to get acclimated to their new home without worrying about tasks like that. Also, make sure you have found them a new doctor in their area (especially if they are changing cities)
4-Make the new house feel like home — The best thing you can do is make this transition a smooth one. Your parents may be going into their first new home in decades. If possible, don’t let them move in until you have had time to set everything up.
Plan out where they want things to go and then have the movers place these exactly as they wish. When they move in, have personal pictures and mementos placed around the home to remind them as much as possible of the old home. Also, as you set up furniture, make sure the locations are safe with plenty of wide spaces to prevent trips and falls.
Helping Your Parents Move Can Make All the Difference
If your elderly parents are preparing to move, then it’s essential that you help them get ready for this. Preparation means a lot more than just packing up the boxes. It also goes toward preparing them emotionally for the changes they will experience.
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